Only ACS can key in the Numbers.
Only a Comcast Employee can talk to ACS.
That is why they push the truck roll so they can have a tech talk to ACS.

You and I can do that.

Even though self-installing CableCARDS is clearly something advanced Tivo users are capable of, I could deal with a policy of no self-installation. But only if their service centers followed suit and didn't advertise the fact that they have CableCARD self-install kits, then hand out CableCARDS to customers under the assumption that they can self-install.

But by allowing service centers to give out CableCards for self installation, and then not training or allowing CSRs to activate the cards, it's setting customers up for a lot of wasted hours, confusion, and disappointment.

But my neighbor works for Comcast as an independant contractor, plus he said I can always borrow his phone.

For my last cablecard install, Comcast dispatch never answered the phone when the contractor called. He gave up after being on the phone for 30 minutes. He called his own office, but they could only activate the card not pair it.

I really hope the new FCC mandates become law since they include self installs for cablecards.

Why does Comcast try to make this so difficult for its customers? I mean the obvious thing is you offer to mail out (or let the cards be picked up), and you have both a phone number and web site the customer can use to punch in the numbers to get it registered. Should take a few minutes, no hassle.

Instead they have variable pricing, most require a tech to come stick it in a slot, etc. Why do they do that?

Oh, and my local office even closed, even though my city's contract with them explicitly says it can't Thankfully the mayor is pissed off and trying to get some other cable company in.

Why does Comcast try to make this so difficult for its customers? I mean the obvious thing is you offer to mail out (or let the cards be picked up), and you have both a phone number and web site the customer can use to punch in the numbers to get it registered. Should take a few minutes, no hassle.

Instead they have variable pricing, most require a tech to come stick it in a slot, etc. Why do they do that?

Oh, and my local office even closed, even though my city's contract with them explicitly says it can't Thankfully the mayor is pissed off and trying to get some other cable company in.

Closed in what way. If you mean bring in a different cable provider then those people are screwed, cause that means everythings gonna have to be ripped out and replaced. New headend equipment, phone numbers, customers will be forced to relinquish their DVR boxes, thus losing all their recorded programs, and whats worse is that means that everyone using cablecards or cable boxes will have to schedule appointments to have them installed/removed. I'd be rioting in the streets or filing a class action suit.

I do not have that number, and no way you're getting that number from anyone at Comcast unless they slip up. I'm not going to give the Exec. CSRs number out of courtesy to him.

I'm telling you, though. I've dealt with executive customer service through that email address and/or @comcastcares on Twitter two or three times. They always respond to well-informed and polite emails rapidly within a day in my experience.

I'd contact them as soon as you know you are going to need a CableCARD self-install activation, even before you're hooked up and ready for activation, and explain you know this can be done remotely and that you're left with no other option than to contact them since you know that regular CSRs are unable to pair a CableCARD with a Tivo.

Plus the more people who contact Executive Customer Service about this, I bet it's likely that it gets solved.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drhankz

I'll pay to save the hours of aggravation of trying to do it yourself.

But...

Quote:

Originally Posted by drhankz

In my home - the Tech's have a problem with

Quote:

Originally Posted by morac

Comcast dispatch never answered the phone when the contractor called. He gave up after being on the phone for 30 minutes. He called his own office, but they could only activate the card not pair it.

That's the thing. This is Comcast afterall. So A) You have to miss work and be held hostage in your home waiting for B) a tech installer who may or may not know what he's doing with a Tivo/CableCARD pairing who will then C) call the number of someone who may or may not know what they're doing with a Tivo/CableCARD install.

If you're comfortable with the self-install and your local service center gives you the CableCARD, I say contacting executive customer service in advance of pairing/activation is the move least likely move to cause aggravation.

I guess this is the right thread so maybe you guys and especially agroothuis can tell me what I should do next. My cable card all channels has been working fine for 6 months I have Comcast Digital Classic so I heard they're having a deal on HBO for 10 bucks a month for 6 months so I order it. She "flicks the switch" whatever that means and I get nothing but I "white screen" on HBO ch.550 if I press "clear" the "cable card screen" comes up.
I called back and a woman told me something about "pairing" yadda yadda and to setup an appointment.I told her I didn't have time for a guy to come out for 1 channel I'm way too busy for that.The next day I called and got some guy in Mexico who tried for 30 minutes,I rebooted the TiVo,pulled the plug out,pulled the card out etc.... nothing. So I've been recording HBO off the Comcast Xfinity site on my computer through a scan converter to a DVD recorder.
How ridiculous is THAT !! I don't know who to contact or call next.I haven't got time to schedule a tech to come out here etc... Any suggestions??

I guess this is the right thread so maybe you guys and especially agroothuis can tell me what I should do next. My cable card all channels has been working fine for 6 months I have Comcast Digital Classi so I heard they're having a deal on HBO for 10 bucks a month for 6 months so I order it. She "flicks the switch" whatever that means and I get nothing but I "white screen" on HBO ch.550 if I press "clear" the "cable card screen" comes up.
I called back and a woman tod me something about "pairing" yadda yadda and to setup an appointment.I told her I didn't have time for a guy to come out for 1 channel I'm way too busy for that.The next day I called and got some guy in Mexico who tried for 30 minutes,I rebooted the TiVo,pulled the plug out,pulled the card out etc.... nothing. So I've been recording HBO off the Xfinity site on my computer through a scan converter to a DVD recorder.
How ridiculous is THAT !! I don't know who to contact or call next.I haven't got time to schedule a tech to come out here etc... Any suggestions??

1) Make time
2) Cancel HBO. Sounds like you've got a system for it anyway.

If I "cancel" it then I can't watch it on the Comcast "Xfinity" website.
As a Comcast subscriber you can watch tons of shows on the Comcast website and if you subscribe to HBO you can watch it online.

I want to watch it on my TiVo like normal people....LOL

Sounds like option 1 then. Your description is rather vague, and the CSRs on the phone don't have much training in troubleshooting cablecard issues. The good news is that Comcast does have appointments on the weekend in some areas.

2) or, more likely: They want you to rent a DVR from them. You will find many many posts on TiVo Community from people who have given up in frustration and done exactly that. Wall Street values cable companies mostly on revenue rather than profit. So, to Comcast, it's better to rent you a DVR at $20/mo even if they don't make any more profit on it than if they rented CableCARDs to you at $2/mo. Note, this isn't something that needs to be explained to CSRs, it's only top management that needs to think this way. Just keep CSRs untrained and in the dark and you get the results you desire, without requiring the whole company to be involved in the "conspiracy". Capitalism at its finest.

But I don't know how to explain the existence of "We can help". They seem to truly be able to help with the vast majority of customer issues. It's like some giant cosmic joke; maybe Brian Roberts has a strange sense of humor. Dealing with Comcast sucks you into a Kafkaesque hell, yet there's a simple way out that 99% of people will never hear about.

I just got my TiVo Premiere unit on Friday. Called Comcast DC to set up an appointment today only to find out that CableCard installations can only be scheduled during core business hours--no evening or weekend appointments for those! Awesome.

I'm willing to give them one shot at their process before getting we_can_help involved...

Well, it took three hours and 2 cable cards, but Jason from Comcast got it right! I hope... I see all my HD channels and HBO's so I think I am good to go. The first card would not pair so it most likely was defective. He tried to get more cards before he came out but they only had ONE??!? So he called all his pals and got a few more and came back 1/2 hour later and was successful!

__________________Will: It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna haveThe Kid: Yeah, well, I guess they had it comingWill: We've all got it coming, kid

I was pleasantly surprised to have gotten an appointment for this afternoon. The installer showed up and asked "so where's the CableCARD?" Apparently they'd set up a trouble call appointment, even though I specifically said on the phone that I was setting up a new outlet with a CableCARD.

Anyway, the technician was great. He called dispatch to get the order set up, installed the card, and paired it. It seemed like he was using his handheld PC to communicate the pairing information to Comcast.

All told, about 45 minutes and I am all set. I'm pretty happy, considering the hell I went through just a couple of years ago.

It has been one month since my install of a CableCard on a new Tivo Premiere. I must say that the experience of the CableCard install and the Premiere has been very positive. I got an appointment within a few days of calling. The technician came with several cards and said he had experience with Tivos. He put the card in, grabbed the Tivo remote and navigated to the correct Tivo screens faster than I could have. After he called dispatch we waited for 20 minutes then he called several more times. In a total of 45 minutes I was up and running with access to all my subscribed channels including premium. After one month of usage I have had no problems with Comcast or Tivo.

I will add that I use the old non-GUI menus and have an SD TV hooked up to Composite cables.

I do notice that the premium channels like HBO are copy protected and I can't back up to a PC like I did with a cable box and Series 2 TIVO.

They had Refurbed Premieres for sale at Sellout.woot.com for 169.99 yesterday. (Great deal) and I noticed in the forum for the deal that someone mentioned that Tivo CS can get your fee for the cable card reduced possibly? I've never heard of this. I had a cable card installed by comcast back in July and it costs me $6 a month. This guy claimed he was told they can get it reduced to $2. I think I'll call later and see if this is true.

They had Refurbed Premieres for sale at Sellout.woot.com for 169.99 yesterday. (Great deal) and I noticed in the forum for the deal that someone mentioned that Tivo CS can get your fee for the cable card reduced possibly? I've never heard of this. I had a cable card installed by comcast back in July and it costs me $6 a month. This guy claimed he was told they can get it reduced to $2. I think I'll call later and see if this is true.

Check the prices for your franchise. I have two CCs and pay $0 for each.

If the charge is for a DTA, DCT, or "HD Equipment" that is NOT what a CableCard is and you should ask them to remove and credit you for those charges.

Check the prices for your franchise. I have two CCs and pay $0 for each.

If the charge is for a DTA, DCT, or "HD Equipment" that is NOT what a CableCard is and you should ask them to remove and credit you for those charges.

I just checked the bill again. The fee is actually listed as a "Digital Access" fee. Not sure it there's anything I can do about it. I was confused because it's listed in the same section as the CC fee, which they list as 0.00. Kind of shady, since that Digital Access fee wasn't there before I got the CC.

I just checked the bill again. The fee is actually listed as a "Digital Access" fee. Not sure it there's anything I can do about it. I was confused because it's listed in the same section as the CC fee, which they list as 0.00. Kind of shady, since that Digital Access fee wasn't there before I got the CC.

I looked in other forums and others are charged this fee too.

After I changed from a DCT to a CC, they sent me a price sheet. See if you can find one online or call your local office and ask them to send you one. The price sheet will have a detailed breakdown of all their fees for equipment, TV packages/tiers, installation charges, etc.

The long awaited rule changes pertaining to CableCARDs that was originally proposed in the FCC's Broadband Plan finally got some resolve today, we have to say we're not convinced things will get that much better. While the FCC failed to kill Tuning Adapters or make the CableLabs certification process any less painful, it did make some changes, which include:

CableCARD fees have to be the same for everyone, no matter which package you have.
If your cable company allows any self installs, they must allow CableCARD self-installs.
Cable companies must support SDV for CableCARD users -- this was implied before, now it is black and white.
By default, all new deployments must be M-Cards (unless you actually request a S-Card).
Cable companies can include an IP interface in set-top-boxes leui of a 1394 port.
One way HD boxes without CableCARDs are no longer forbidden and they don't require IP interfaces.

Obviously nothing is as simple as six bullet points and there's much more detail in the 59 page order, so click on through for our interpretation of the nitty-gritty or hit up the PDF source and go nuts.
The biggest let down is that the FCC didn't kill Tuning Adapters and although the order specifically mentions all the reports from consumers to the FCC about non-working Tuning Adapters, the FCC doesn't want to force a solution in fear of deterring the use of SDV -- which is cool and useful technology, when it works. Instead the FCC will mandate that whatever solution a provider wants to use must actually work. It went on to say that support to tune four channels is the new minimum and that reliability is mandatory. The complaint website is going to be updated to make it easier for users to notify the FCC of issues and if the reliability issues persist, the FCC will revisit the decision.

Many wanted the rental price of the CableCARDs in their own line item on the bill, but the FCC agreed with the NCTA that it might do more harm than good. So instead it's mandated that the price has to be the same regardless of if you own your own box or not, and the price has to be on the cable company's website. In addition, cable companies can't play any price games with the packages to hide the costs. This one is kind of complicated so we'll just quote it word for word.
Accordingly, we also adopt a rule that requires cable operators to reduce the price of packages that include set-top box rentals by the cost of a set-top box rental for customers who use retail devices, and prohibits cable operators from assessing service fees on consumer-owned devices that are not imposed on leased devices. These price reductions must reflect the portion of the package price that is reasonably allocable to the device lease fee.
As for the new self install rule, it goes into effect in nine months if the provider already supports self installs, 12 for everyone else. And you have to be able to request CableCARDs like any other hardware, so if you can get a DVR via the web, you can get a CableCARD that way too. Finally, when you order a CableCARD they have to notify you of the self install option.

One big loss is that there're no apparent changes to the certification process, but maybe we're wrong as this paragraph was clear as mud. We had hoped that it would be easier and cheaper to certify CableCARD devices, and the software that works with them, but the FCC basically said everything was working as planed.

The last item was about the new IP interface requirement, the content served from it must be in a recordable format (MPEG2, MPEG4, h.264) and pass through closed caption data -- as well as a number of other things like discovery. But since there was no mention in the change of the DRM requirements of this interface, there's no reason to believe anything will change. You see, all the boxes will serve up HD content via 1394 currently, but since the DRM used it seemly impossible to get a license for, the ports go unused.

All in all there are a few good things here for consumers and some of this might encourage manufacturers to create new CableCARD devices, but we can't help but thinking this is even less than the basic band-aid we were hoping for while we wait for All-Vid. So in other words, you were all right.